Easy Ways to Burglar-Proof Your Home

If you have invested in a home, you might be looking at how to burglar-proof it. The number of burglaries in a single year in the U.S. is north of 2 million. You don’t want to leave your house open to theft and damage. The good thing about making your home burglar-proof is that there are several inexpensive, and even fun, ways to keep your home safe and secure.

Small Steps You Can Make in Home Security

Keep Doors and Windows Locked

People who live in safe neighborhoods are not used to taking extra care of their door locks and windows. It might come as shocking information for some, but almost 34% of burglars literally walk into homes of unsuspecting citizens through the front doors. Make sure to install strong door hinges and window frames to ensure that they are not easily broken either.

Add Extra Locks on the Doors

For a determined thief, strong window panels might not be enough resistance. One of the easiest ways to improve home security is to add an extra lock on the door. Especially the locks that open from both inside and outside are prone to get picked. So, install a bolt or simply a magnetic lock that provides extra security when you are away. You can also make your lock more secure by reinforcing the strike plate and door frame with hardware, such as doorjamb or strike plate.

Don’t Leave Your Mail in the Mailbox

Nothing invites burglars into homes like a pile of mail or newspapers gathering at the front porch of the house. Similarly, an unmaintained lawn attracts thieves. Anything that gives off the impression that the homeowners are not around is an unnecessary, and easily avoidable risk.

Be Smart About your Key Hiding Place

While it may seem Hollywood-ish style to keep your key in plain sight so you don’t have to scourge around the lawn on coming back home from a late-night, it seriously exposes your house.

Keep Jewelry, Cash, and other Valuables out of Sight

It might not seem a big deal to not have your new Home Theater system visible directly through windows from the main road, but it will attract more burglars than if nothing expensive was so openly visible.

Discourage Burglaries

Get a TV Stimulator

A small cube-shaped gadget, no bigger than the palm of your hand, can make it seem like the TV is on inside the house even when there is no one home. Unless it is a hardened criminal, no burglar would dare enter a house where there are people inside.

Keep the Doorways and Main Entrance Well-lit

This is another simple technique whereby the burglars would not be able to hide themselves and the risk of your neighbors watching or seeing their faces would be enough to burglar-proof your house.

Put Your House Number Written Boldly on Your Front Door

This is important in case a break-in or a medical emergency happens, because the first responders need to be able to quickly locate your house. But this is another of those psychological barriers for criminals too. Getting such a house number or a plate with boldly written address will not be very expensive but it will be quite useful in thwarting robberies and burglaries.

Get a Dummy Camera

Not every burglar has the technical know-how of how to disable a camera or to even recognize if a camera is real or not. Simply installing a dummy camera right on the entrance of your house would do the trick of improving home security.

Get a Security Sign and Keep it Generic

Just like a dummy camera, a security system sign would also be highly discouraging for burglars to look towards your home. However, the more experienced criminals might look up the name of the security company to see their service regions, response times etc. Therefore if you go with a fake security sign, keep it generic so as to not give it away that it is not real.

Security DIY – Additions and Alterations

Use Interior Hinges

If your outside doors have their hinges exposed, there is a higher risk of picklocks removing hinge pins and taking off the door altogether. It is unlikely to happen but a risk nevertheless. Simply shift your hinges from outdoor, if any, to indoors to burglar-proof your property. You’ll have a quick and free way to have piece of mind.

Install a Pin Lock

This is like a latch but the only thing required to install it is to drill a hole in the door or in the window panes. If you also wish to have this latch work with the door or the window slightly open, simply drill two holes. You will need a steel stick, or any metallic pen-sized pin with a small chain, and you can latch shut your doors and windows that will not open even if someone is able to pick the lock.

Change the Screws in your Shed and Door Locks

The most common form of screws also open with the most common types of screwdrivers. Simply adding more complicated screws, such as Hex-head cap screws, Torx head screws or Allen head screws you add a very strong layer of security against regular burglars.

Install a Deadbolt

Such a lock will not only make it more difficult to pick the lock itself but will also make it impossible for the doors or windows to open even if the locks have been picked. When you are inside your house, you can simply slide the lock on the deadbolt to stop it from turning.

Block Sliding Doors and Windows

One of the easiest and yet most stylish options is to use simple wood logs. Metal bars, cement sticks, and even tile cuttings are equally good options for security but they do not look as nice and are heavy to move even when you yourself need to open the sliding doors. Simply cut out wood logs, matching the size of the opening side of the sliding door and put it on the railing to stop the doors or windows from being moved.

Get Professional Help

Install Security Cameras

This time, unlike the trick option mentioned above, invest in actual quality cameras and install them near the entry points. If anyone approaches the door that seems suspicious, you will not only be able to see them on a screen from inside the home but you will also have a mobile application to alert you even when you are away. Such cameras will not only prevent burglaries but will also assist in catching the culprits in case someone is still stupid enough to try to rob your house.

Install a Security System

Getting a professional security company to have your home secured not only means a solid and trustworthy layer of security but also immediate help in case an emergency happens. These security companies not only have state of the art protection technology but they have great response time too to send guards and teams of security personnel if someone tries to break into a secured house.

Get a Smart Lock

If you are moving to a new place or simply getting renovations done around the house, invest in a smart lock with no keys. Soon enough the smart locks are going to take over the world of home security anyway, so why not be among the first ones to do so?

Motion-sensing lights are an added plus

While keeping the main and back entrances lit is a good habit to keep anyways, the better option is a motion-sensing light that will stop any burglar dead in their tracks if they try to approach your home.20.   Make the inside of the home safe too: While it makes all the sense in the world to ensure that doors and windows are locked and not open to any risk, the protection of your valuables inside the house are equally important. Invest in a high quality safe for inside the house, even better if you bolt it to the floor, and preferably at an inconspicuous location inside the house too. Sometimes it is not just those that enter the house without permission, but also the strangers who you might invite inside your home yourself only to find that they took your valuables with them when they left.